COLUMBIA, S.C. — Superior collegiate teaching transcends the traditional boundaries of the classroom, as shown by the response of SCICU’s 2020 “Excellence In Teaching” award recipients in moving to remote/online instruction related to the COVID-19 pandemic. 2020 marks the 15th year that SCICU has recognized leading professors from the 20 member colleges and universities, but marks the first and hopefully only time the annual awards dinner and celebration is sidelined by the COVID-19 pandemic.
As in previous years, each Excellence In Teaching award winner is presented with a framed certificate and a $3,000 professional development grant. The certificates and professional development grant checks have been shipped to the award recipients via their respective college/university presidents.
The 20 Excellence In Teaching award recipients represent a wide diversity of academic disciplines. While many of the professors honored are leading academicians in the sciences, others are noted for their excellence in the humanities, including English, theatre, economics, international policy, history, and psychology.
Excellence In Teaching award recipients bring a wealth of knowledge, compassion, and enthusiasm to the students attending SCICU’s member colleges and universities throughout South Carolina. The professors nominated by their campuses for the 2020 SCICU Excellence In Teaching awards include:
- Allen University – Dr. Michael Lane
- Anderson University – Dr. Paige Ellisor-Catoe
- Benedict College – Ms. Ruby Blair
- Charleston Southern University – Dr. Mela Wyeth
- Claflin University – Dr. Harpal S. Grewal
- Coker College – Dr. Graham Wood
- Columbia College – Dr. AnnMarie C. Knight
- Columbia International University – Dr. Lynn Hoekstra
- Converse College – Dr. Chandra Owenby Hopkins
- Erskine College – Dr. Catherine White
- Furman University – Professor Maegan M. Azar
- Limestone College – Dr. Alex Richardson
- Morris College – Ms. Priscilla Patten
- Newberry College – Dr. Sara A. Peters
- North Greenville University – Dr. Melissa L. Cruver
- Presbyterian College – Dr. Charles Clinton Harshaw
- Southern Wesleyan University – Dr. Steven Hayduk
- Spartanburg Methodist College – Dr. Litasha Dennis
- Voorhees College – Professor Alicia A. Davis
- Wofford College – Dr. Britton W. Newman
SCICU appreciates the corporate sponsors who recognize the value of independent higher education through their financial support of the Excellence In Teaching program. Each year corporate sponsorships make possible the awards dinner and celebration for the Excellence In Teaching award winners and their guests. In previous years, SCICU hosted more than 150 guests at the annual Excellence In Teaching awards dinner at the Columbia Metropolitan Convention Center.
The following businesses are recognized for their support of the 2020 Excellence In Teaching program:
- Haynsworth, Sinkler, Boyd P.A.
- M.B. Kahn Builders
- McMillan Pazdan Smith Architecture
- TD Bank
- Total Comfort Solutions
SCICU also thanks M. B. Kahn for the redirection of their Excellence In Teaching dinner sponsorship funds to the SCICU Discretionary Scholarship Program, which helps students in times of financial emergency.